The present invention relates to a connector socket, and more particularly to a connector socket that can be easily manufactured and assembled at reduced material cost and is more durable for use.
A connector socket is generally connected to a circuit board for receiving an expansion card, such as a memory card, a COMPACTFLASH card, etc. Currently, the connector socket is largely employed in computers and their related equipment.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective of a conventional connector socket. As shown, the conventional connect socket mainly includes a main body 1 for flatly fixing to a circuit board and having a card slot 11 for an expansion card to insert thereinto, a guide hole 12 provided at an upper outer side to communicate with the card slot 11; a metal cover 2 snapped onto the main body 1 and having a guide channel 21 facing toward a direction the same as that of the card slot 11 and a round hole 22 provided at a top thereof; a control bar 3 movably received in the guide channel 21 with an outer push end 31 projected from an outer end of the guide channel 21; and a metal lever 4 located between the metal cover 2 and the main body 1. The metal lever 4 includes a first downward bent end 41 extended into the guide channel 21 to be pushed inward by the control bar 3, and a second downward bent end 42 extended into the guide hole 12 to contact with an expansion card fully inserted into the card slot 11. The metal lever 4 is stamped to form an upward projected round hole 43 having a circular wall portion 44. The metal lever 4 is located below the metal cover 2 with the circular wall portion 44 upward extending through the round hole 22. The circular wall portion 44 is then stamped to flare and flatly associate with a top of the metal cover 2 while allowing the metal lever 4 to pivotally turn about the round hole 43 relative to the main body 1 and the metal cover 2.
The metal cover 2 permits convenient removal of the expansion card from the card slot 11. To remove the expansion card from the card slot 11, simply push the control bar 3 at the push end 31. At this point, an inner end of the control bar 3 contacts with the first bent end 41 of the metal lever 4, causing the metal lever 4 to pivotally turn about the round hole 43 and the second bent end 42 thereof to move toward and thereby push the expansion card in the card slot 11 out of the card slot 11.
The above-described conventional connector socket has the following disadvantages:
1. The metal lever 4 is stamped to form the round hole 43 and the circular wall portion 44, and the circular wall portion 44 is upward extended through the round hole 22 on the metal cover 2 and then further stamped to flatly associate with the top of the metal cover 2, such that the metal lever 4 is pivotally turnable about the round hole 43 relative to the metal cover 2. The above manufacturing procedures are complicate and require increased cost. Moreover, stamping of the circular wall portion 44 after it has been extended through the round hole 22 to assemble to the metal cover 2 is not easily controllable. And, metal powder tends to occur due to scrape of the stamped wall portion 44 against the round hole 22 and endangers the safe electric conduction provided through the connector.
2. The wall portion 44 of the round hole 43 on the metal lever 4 forms the only one center of circle around which the metal lever 4 pivotally turns, and is therefore subject to quick wearing and finally results in a disengagement of the metal lever 4 from the metal cover 2.
3. The metal cover 2 is made of a flat metal sheet of an increased thickness to ensure an overall structural strength of the cover 2. This results in increased material and difficult fabrication thereof.
It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an improved connector socket to eliminate the drawbacks existing in the conventional connector socket.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a connector socket that includes a metal cover having a downward and then inward bent stopper provided at a rear side of the connector socket, such that the metal cover could be made with thin material while having an enhanced overall structural strength.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector socket that includes a metal cover having a stopper provided at a rear side thereof, and a metal lever located below the metal cover and having at least one supporting point thereon pressing against the stopper, such that the metal lever could pivotally turn about the supporting point without causing too much frictional contact of the metal lever with the metal cover to wear both members.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a connector socket that can be easily manufactured and assembled at reduced cost.
To achieve the above and other objects, the connector socket of the present invention includes a main body having a card slot and a guide hole communicable with the card slot, a metal cover having a guide channel at one side opposite to the guide hole and a downward extended stopper opposite to the card slot, a control bar movably received in the guide channel, and a metal lever located between the metal cover and the main body and held to the metal cover with a hooking plate upward projected from a hole on the metal cover. The metal lever has a first downward bent end engaged with an inner end of the control bar to move along with the latter, and a second downward bent end engaged with the guide hole on the main body. A rear edge of the metal lever has at least one supporting point in contact with the stopper of the metal cover. When the control bar is pushed into the guide channel and the first bent end of the metal lever is moved rearward, the metal lever is pivotally turned about the supporting point and the second bent end thereof is moved forward to push a card inserted in the card slot out of the card slot.
Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.